stevens



STEVENS,

SELVAGE TRIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 19m

Patented June 10, 1919.

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17a EM w. 0. STEVENS. SELVAGE TRIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 19M

1,306, 64:2 Patented June 10,1919.

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Main

W. C. STEVENS.

Patented June 10, 1919.

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45 25 u w. I 5% W. C. STEVENS. 'SELVAGE TRIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.19M

Patvnted J 11110 10, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 u 41 in nsn ngnnl llfi 5 61 y I- I 1 4 n "glllllllll mm(m zQM-JAQM-J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. STEVENS, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRESTON'E-TIRERUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

' SELVAGE-TRIMMER.

Application filed J'u'ne 5,1914. Serial No. 843,123.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM t a citizen ofthe United States, residlng at Akron, in the county of Summit and StateI of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelvage-Trimmers, of

which the following is a specification.

In variousarts it is necessary or desirable to remove a narrow edgeportlon of a sheet or roll of fabric before use, as, forinstance, theselvage of textile fabric, and the present invention relates toimprovements in machines for accomplishing this result.

Its chief object is the production of a device of this character whichshall not only be simple in structure, but shall automaticallycompensate for inequalities in the width of the material acted on andirreg'u larities in its feed, so that a substantially uniform edgeportion of the fabric will be cut 03 under all circumstances. Althoughan appliance embodying. this invention is susceptible of employment inmany arts and industries, it is especially useful in trimming oif theselvage portions of the frictioned textile fabric used in themanufacture of vehicle wheel tire casings or shoes.

In order that those skilled in this art may fully understand theinvention, I have illustratedia desirable embodiment of the same in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and towhich-reference should be had in connection with the following detaileddescription.

' In these drawings Figure 1 isa side elevation of a machine, equippedwith a trimming mechanism embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 IS a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the parts beingviewedinthe direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig.3 is an enlarged plan view of the machine, with certain parts brokenaway to more clearly illustrate the construction;

Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the trim-" ming mechanisms illustratingthe means of support therefor;

Fig. 5 isa side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectlon on the line 5+6 of Fig.

7. the parts being viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, and.illustrates the o. STEVE S,-

gage Wheel, the guide for the trimmed strip,

trating more especially the means of suppQ/It and adjustment. I

By referring to the drawings, it will be noticed that the appliancecomprises a main frame 20, supported on suitable" legs 21, 21, andhasmounted on its opposite sides a pair of standards 22 and 23, eachhaving a cavity or recess on its inner face, as illustrated more clearlyin Figs. 4: and 7. As is shown,..these standards are bolted or otherwisesecured to the main frame 20 and their upper ends are connected togetherby a pair of transverse rods 24, 21.

- As is shown in Fig. 1, the main frame at one end is equipped with apair of bearings 25, 25, receiving the shaft 26 of a stock roll 27 ofrubberimpregnated, frictioned fabric, the layers of which, as iscustomary, are separated from one another by an interposed cotton clothliner 28, which prevents the layers of fabric constituting the roll 1passes downwardly around another drum or shaft 32, which may berotatable in suitable hearings on the main frame or which may beemployed without any bearings, the mere weight of the shaft or drumkeeping the fabric depressed or downwardly looped, in substantially themanner indicated in Fig. 1. Vhere a trimming mechanism of this characteris used in association with a bias cutter which advances the fabricintermittently or step by step, it is desirable to have the shaftordrum32 free, that is, unmounted in bear ings, so that its weightcantake up the slack in the fabric at intervals, whereby it will bealways stretched substantially tight and horizontally over the rollers29 and 30, as illustrated.

The bias machine, while not illustrated, is one which causes the forwardtravel of the fabric, but it has been deemed unnecessary to illustratethis in connection with the present device, as any suitable form offabric feed ing or advancing appliance may be employed.

(3n the lower portion of the main frame, as, for example, on a pair ofthe legs 21, l mount a drum or shaft 33, on which the cotton cloth lineris wound up as it is unwound or paid out from the stock roll 27. This,of course, is a usual expedient in this and other arts.

At each side of the machine I provide a.

support or member 34, slidable on transverse rods 24, 24, and equippedwith a pair of depending spaced ears 35, i 35, apertured in alinementfor the accommodation of a shaft 36, revolublc inbearings 37 of'the twostand; ards 22 and 23. One end of this shaft has fixed thereto asprocket wheel 38, coiiperating with which is a sprocketchain 39,passing around asimilar sprocket wheel 40 on the end of the shaft 41carrying theroller or drum 31. It should be-understood that the fabric42, in passing over the drum'31, revolves the shaft 41 and this rotationis transmitted to the shaft 36 by means of the two sprocketwheels 3'8and 40 and their cotip'erating sprocket chain 39.

The slide head 34 has another pair of depending arms 43, 43, to which ayoke 44 is hinged at'45, the yoke supporting a lower yoke or bracket 46by means of four rods 47,

47, 48, 48. As is shown in Fig. 7, the yoke 46 has two horizontal arms49 and 50, equipped with two pivot screws T1 and 52 bearing in socketsin the opposite ends of a support 53,

provided with two separated portions 54 and 55, each of which has twoball bearings for the pair of cutter shafts 56 and 57 The upper shaft 56has a gear wheel 58 fastened thereto, between the parts 54 and 55, by aset screw 59, the teeth of such gear being in mesh with those of anothergear 60, fastened in like manner to the shaft 57 by a set screw 61.

The shaft 56 has a collar or enlargement 62, against which bears theface of a sleeve 63, equipped with a flange 64 and to the latter, bymeans of screws 65, l fasten a circular blade or cutter 66. Fitted overthe sleeve 63, and bearing against the face of the cutter, I employ aroller 67, which is held in position by means of a sleeve 68 fitted overthe sleeve 63 and bearing against the end of which is a disk or collar69, an end of the the blade 66, whereby the desired and proper shearingaction on the fabric is attained. The roller 75 has a tight fit on thesleeve or hub 72, and within it I employ a rubber or other suitablecushion 76, against the outer face of which a disk or collar 77 bears,the required pressure between the blades being secured by an adjustmentof the nut 78 on the screw -threaded, reduced end of the shaft 57.

The lower shaft 57 is retated and, of course, its rotation istransmitted to the upper shaft 56 by the intermission gears 60 and 58,by means of a sprocket chain 76, which coiiperates with the teeth of thesprocket wheel 71 and also passes'around a sprocket wheel 80, mounted onthe shaft 36 between the cars 35, 35. In order that 1 the rotation ofthe shaft 36 may be transweight 81, carried on a rod 82, fastened in anyapproved manne 'to the yoke at '83. Obviously, with the parts thuscounterweightcd, the cutters and their rolls, if free to move, wouldswing or shift inwardly toward the fabric. It is advisable or necessaryto guide the cocperating cutters in their trimming action and, for thispurpose, I mount a deeply grooved roller84, revoluble on a pair of arms85, 85, supported on the member 54 and, in order to press such gageroller against the edge of the fabric so that it may properly performits gaging and guiding function, I insert a coiled compression spring 86between the arms car'ry ing the roller 84 and the adjacent standarc orpost 22 or 23, as the case may be. Owing to the fact that the fabricbeing trimmed by the machine has been coated with adhesive rubber and ismore or less-sticky or tacky, it is desirable to guide the trimmedselvage strip away fromthe fabric proper and away from the parts of themachine. To effect this result, I mount on the member 54 a thin metaldisk 87 (see'Figs. 6 and 7), to which is fastened an angle plate 88, theoutstanding flange 89. of which acts as a downwardly deflecting guidefor the severed strip.

After the fabric .or-duck has been frictioned or supplied with rubber onthe'calendering machine and wound up in the stock .roll 27, such rollwill not be uniform, the

fabric shifting more or less lengthwise in one direction or the other onthe shaft. The fabric will also vary somewhat in width, owing to theirregularities in its manufacture, and it is therefore, desirable tobeable,

in a machine of this character, to feed the two cutting mechanisms atthe two sides of the machine together, one way or the other,

' without disturbing their relative adjustment, and it is desirable tobe able to. bring the cutting mechanismscloser together, or

' separate them farther apart, as, occasion requires.

To efiect this result, I provide the follow.- ing instrumentalities:

- Each of the standards 22 and 23, in its uppermost portion, has abearing 90, in which is revolubly mounted a shaft 91, the inwardlyextended portion of which is screwthreaded, as illustrated, for example,in Fig.

' has fastened thereto a sprocket wheel 98, 00-

operating with a sprocket chain 99, which passesaround another sprocketwheel 100 on the end of the right-hand shaft 91, as the parts-areillustrated in Fig. 3. The same end of the shaft 97 on which the handle96 is mounted has fixed thereto another round handle 101, equipped witha sliding detent 102, which, when in the position shown in Fig. 5,cooperates with the two handles 96 and 101 to lock them together,

so that by turning the round handle 101 with the smaller handle 103,both handles 96 and 101 will be rotated and both screw.-

threaded shafts 91 also rotated to move both slide heads 34, either tothe right or to the left, depending upon the direction of .rotation ofthe handle 103. In case it is desired to move either slide head 34independently of the other, it is merely necessary to slide; the detent102 outwardly-away from the handle 96, so that either handle maybthereby revolved in the dlrection requlr In this Way the cutters at theopposite sides of the machine may be adjusted simultaneously withoutdisturbing the distance between them, or they may be moved individuallyto modify their relative relation.

The operation of this mechanism, although indicated above, may besummarized substantially as follows:

The fabric is caused to pass through the machine by any approved means,such, for

example, as a bias cutter, not illustrated, the.

frictioned or rubber-impregnated duck or canvas is unwound from stockroll 27 and passes over'the drums or rollers 29 and 30 and, afterpassing beneath the shaft or drum 32, passes over the end roller 31,the;

rotation of which, by means of the mechanism shown and described, is.transmitted to the shaft 36. The rotation'of the latter, by means of thesprocket chains and the sprocket wheels is transmitted to the two setsof trimming knives at opposite sides of the machine. both selvageportions are trimmed ofl by the positively rotated cooperatingcircularblades ,or knives, and the fabric is As the fabric passes along,

smoothed by the action of the companion rollers 67 and 75. The pivotpoints 45 .for the swinging frame, and the pivots 51 and 52 for the yoke53 constitute in effect a universal joint support for the cutters, and

owing to the action of the counterweight 81.

and the spring 86, the gage wheel '84 fol-' lows the edge of the fabric,gages'the width of the strip cut off and guldes the knives in theircutting action; that is, the knives,

under the influence of the spring 86, tend to travel inwardly of thefabric and cut oil" a wider strip, but are restrained. from doing so bythe travel of the roller 84 on the edge of the fabric. If the knives didnot have such a tendency given to them, theyv would possibly travel awayfrom the fabric andcease to perform their cutting function. It'

will be apparent, therefore, that the roller 84 which travels on theedge of the fabric in advance of the knives acts not only as a guide,butalsoas a gage, determining the width of the severed strip.

The trimmed off, sticky, selvage strip is guided away from the main bodyof the abric and away from the parts of the mechanism by the downwardlyextended flange 89, so that there is no danger of such strip adhering.to the fabric or becoming en tangled in the mechanism.

By the rotation of the handles 101 and 96, conjointly or together, thecutting devices may. be shifted without destroying their relation, thatis,-changing the distance between them; or such distance may beincreased or decreased by turning the handles separately.

Experience has shown that a device of this character is unusuallyeffective in operation and, because of its simplicity of con struction,it is unlikely to become damaged or deranged It cuts off from both sidesof the fabric seivage strips of substantially uniform Width, regardlessof variations in the Width of the fabric and regardless of the shiftingof the fabric to one sideor the other, due to its uneven Winding on thestock roll.

lVhile I have herein set forth in detail the construction and operationof this preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understoodthat the latter is not limited or restricted to the preciseconstructoward the fabric, scribed. Y

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means'tosupport the fabric, a cutter adapted to sever substantially as detheedge portion of the fabric, a gage mounted on the same support as thecutter and adapted to travel on the edge of the fabric, and meanstending to press said gage and cutter toward the fabric, substantiallyas described. i

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport the fabric, a hinged arm, and a cutter mounted on said arm andadapted to sever the edge portion of the fabric, the center of gravityof the arm and the parts carried thereby and its pivotal point beingsuch that the cutter tends to move toward the fabric, substantially asdescribed I 4. In a machine of the character described, the combinationof means to support the fabric, a hinged arm, a cutter mounted on saidarm and adaptedto sever the edge portion of the fabric, and a gagemounted on said arm and adapted to travel on the edge of the fabric,thecenter of gravity of w said arm and the parts carried thereby and theaxis of its hinge being so related that the cutter and gage tend to movetoward the fabric, substantially as described.

,5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport the fabric, a pair of-rotary, cooperating, power-driven cuttersadapted to sever theedge portion ,of the fabric, and means tending topress said cutters toward the fabric, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described,

ric, and means tending to press said gage and cutter substantially asdescribed.

- 10. Inamachine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport the necepae the combination of means to support the fabric, apairuof rotary, cooperating, powerthe combination of means to supportthe fabric, a pair of rotary, cobperating, powerdriven cutters adaptedto sever the edge portion of the fabric, and a universal joint supportfor said cutters, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport the fabric, a pair of rotary, cotiperating, powerdriven cuttersadapted to sever the edge portion of the fabric, anniversal jointsupport for said cutters, and a gage carried by said support and adaptedto travel on the edge of the fabric to fabric, a hinged arm, a cuttersupport pivoted on said arm and'adapted to swing in a plane atsubstantially right angles to that of the movement of the arm, and acutter mounted on said cutter support and adapted tosever the edgeportion of the fabric, substantially as described.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport the fabric, a hinged arm, a support pivoted on said arm andadapted to turn in a plane substantially'at right angles to that of themovement of the arm, a cutter mounted on said support and adapted tosever the edge portion of the fabric, and a gage mounted on said supportand adapted to travel on the guide the cutter, subedge of the fabric andstantially as described. t

12. In a machine of the character described,-

the combination of means to support the fabric, an arm hinged at itsupper end,la support pivoted in a lower portion of said arm and adaptedto turn in a plane at substantially right angles to that of the movementof the arm, a pair of power-driven cutters mounted on said supportand adapted to sever the edge portion of the fabric, and a gage mountedon said support and adapted to travel on the edge of the fabric, theaxis of the hinge of said arm and the center of gravity of the arm andthe parts carried thereby being such that the cutters and gage tend toswing toward the fabric, substantially as descrlbed;

guide the cutters,

' ment of the arm, a pair of rotary, coop-' 13. In a machine of thecharacter described, the combination of means to support the fabric, anarm hinged at its upper end, a support pivoted in a lower portion ofsaid arm and adapted to turn in a plane at substantially right angles tothe plane of moveerating, power-driven cutters mounted on said support,a gage wheel mounted on said support and adapted to travel on the edgeof the fabric, and means acting on said support tending to swing thelatter to bring the gage wheel against the fabric, the axis of said armhinge and the center of gravity of the arm and the parts carried therebybeing such as to tendto move the cutters and gage toward the fabric,substantially as described.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable support, a cutter on said support, means for guiding themovement of said support by the fabric and a downwardly inclined membermounted on the support, adapted to guide the severed portion away fromthe remainder of the fabric.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means tosupport. the fabric, including a roller rotated by the passage of thefabric thereover, a power-driven cutter adapted to sever the edgeportion of the fabric, and means to convey the power required to operatethe cutter from said fabric roller to the cutter, substantially asdescribed.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination of a mainframe, cutters adapted to operate on opposite edges of a strip offabric, and means capable at the will of the operator of adjusting thecutters laterally of the fabric Withoutmodifying the distance betweenthe cutters or of adjusting one of the cutters independently of theother.

17. In a machine for trimming selvage from fabric, the combination ofmeans to support a movable strip of fabric, cutters adapted to act onthe edges of the fabric, in-

dependently movable supports for each said cutter, and means to guideeach support by the edge of the fabric upon which its-cutter acts.

18. A device for trimming the selvage from a moving strip of fabricembodying a shiftably-mounted lmife, means contacting solely with theedge of the fabric arranged to be shifted by its engagement with themeandering edge thereof, said means having connection with said knifefor correspondingly changing the position of the latter.

19. A device for trimming the selvage from a moving strip of fabricembodying a shiftably mounted knife, means positioned wholly to one sideof and constantly held in contacting relation with the edge of thefabric and arranged to be shifted by the meandering edge thereof,mechanism for shifting said knife, said means having connection with theedge-engagement means for inducing corresponding changes of position ofthe lmife. I

20. A device for trimming the selvage from a moving strip of fabricembodying a shiftably-mounted knife, mechanism for shifting the positionof said knife, means positioned wholly to one side of and normally heldin contacting relation with the edge of the fabric and arranged to beshifted by the unevenness of the edge thereof, said means havingconnection with the mechanism for shifting the position of said knifewhereby a change of position of the latter is produced by the changes ofposition of the edge-engaging means.

21. In an apparatus for trimming selvage from fabric, a support movabletransversely of the fabric, a fabric edge contacting member and a cuttercarried on said support, and means to maintain said edge contactingmember in contact with the fabric edge.

22. In an apparatus for trimming selvage from fabric, a support movabletransversely of the fabric, a fabric edge contac ing member and a cuttercarried on said support, said cutter being located at one side of saidedge contacting member a distance equal to the width of selvage to betrimmed, and means to maintain said edge contacting member in contactwith the fabric edge. I

23; In an apparatus for trimming selvage from fabric, a fabric edgecontacting member, a cutter movable transversely of the fabric and meanstransmitting the lateral movement of the fabric edge to the cutter tocause a corresponding movement of the latter.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 26th day of May,A. D. 1914.

; WILLIAM G. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

J. F. SHEA, S. G. OARKHUFF.

